ELI5: What is NEWater in Singapore?

NEWater is recycled water that's super clean and safe to drink, used in Singapore to make sure there's enough water for everyone.

Imagine you have a glass of juice, and you spill it. Normally, you'd throw it away, right? But what if you could clean that juice really, really well, so it's even cleaner than fresh water? That's kind of what NEWater is!

Instead of juice, think about the water that goes down the drain after you shower, wash dishes, or flush the toilet (used water). This water goes to a special factory where it goes through a super cleaning process that has three main steps:

• Microfiltration/Ultrafiltration: This is like using a super tiny strainer to get rid of all the big stuff like dirt and bacteria. Think of it like filtering out sand from water at the beach.
• Reverse Osmosis: This is like pushing the water through an even tinier filter that removes even the smallest things like viruses and salts. It's like squeezing all the bad stuff out of a sponge.
• Ultraviolet Disinfection: This is like shining a special light on the water to kill any remaining germs. It's like using the sun to dry your clothes and kill bacteria.

• Making tap water: Mixed with reservoir water to increase the water supply.
• Industrial uses: Used in factories to cool machines.
• Toilet flushing: Used in some areas to conserve drinking water.